Daniel Ortega, leader of the Nicaraguan government.
The President of Brazil has recognized that the “Church has a problem” in Nicaragua. Bishop Rolando Álvarez is one of those convicted and has a 26-year prison sentence for opposing the dictatorship.
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, assured this Thursday that will speak with his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortegain relation to the detained religious, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez, sentenced to 26 years in prison.
“I intend to speak with Daniel Ortega about the release of the bishop”, The Brazilian president announced during the press conference that he has put an end to his official visit to Italy, before heading to France.
«I will try to help, but things are not always easy. Not everyone has the greatness to apologize. The word ‘sorry’ is simple, but it requires a lot of greatness to recognize that a mistake was made”, Lula said.
“Not all men have the courage to say: ‘I was wrong, I’m going to change my mind.’ You have to be convinced”, added the Brazilian president, who has recognized that «The Church has a problem in Nicaragua».
«There are priests and bishops in prison. The only thing the Church wants is for them to be freed to come to Italy.”said Lula, who has not specified if he will intercede at the request of Pope Francis, with whom he has seen these days in the Vatican.
In February of this year, Álvarez was sentenced to exile along with more than 200 Nicaraguan citizens opposed to Ortega for crimes of treason, misinformation and attempt to subvert territorial integrity. Refusing to be transferred to the United States, he was imprisoned for a period of 26 years.
Brazil’s position with respect to Ortega has been criticized by part of the international community, which considers that he is putting himself in profile, as shown by the fact that refused to sign a resolution of the Organization of American States (OAS) against the crimes committed by the Nicaraguan government.
In March, at the United Nations, Brazil, after avoiding joining a previous report prepared by experts on the crimes that were being committed in the Central American country, He proposed to engage in a “constructive dialogue” with Ortega. In turn, he also opened the doors of the country to Nicaraguan dissidents.. (EFE)